Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropical Australia by Thomas Mitchell

Its easy to link to paragraphs in the Full Text ArchiveIf this page contains some material that you want to link to but you don't want your visitors to have to scroll down the whole page just hover your mouse over the relevent paragraph and click the bookmark icon that appears to the left of it. The address of that paragraph will appear in the address bar of your browser. For further details about how you can link to the Full Text Archive please refer to our linking page.

2D SEPTEMBER.--We recrossed the perfectly level plain formerly mentioned.We found, on reaching the Claude, that our bridge, then made, had beenmuch damaged by a flood. The little river was still running, and it wascheering to learn thus, that rain had fallen at its sources, beyondwhich, I had still much to do. We lost no time in repairing our bridge,so that all things were got across safely. We ascended the undulatingdowns along our old track, and where many curious specimens of trees inflint, lay mixed with the rich black mould. I observed that no entiresections of trunks were cylindrical, all appearing to have beencompressed so as to present a diameter of two to one. Yuranigh brought meone specimen which he said was "pine;" (Callitris), which so farconfirmed what has hitherto been observed of the coniferous character ofAustralian fossil woods; but, from the appearance of other specimens, Iam not at all convinced that these fossils are all of that description. Ileft these beautiful regions with feelings of regret, that the directroute to the gulf, could not be carried through them. I was rather at aloss for names of reference to these parts. I had given the name ofClaude to the river; and it occurred to me, that the scenery of theMantuan bard, which this painter has so finely illustrated with pastoralsubjects, deserved a congenial name; and that this country might,therefore, be distinguished by that of the Mantuan Downs and Plains.About half-way through our former stage, I found water in ponds which hadbeen formerly dry; and there we encamped, our animals being almostexhausted. It is one redeeming quality of brigalow scrub, that water isto be found within its recesses, at times when all other channels orsources are dry; the soil in which it grows being stiff, retentive, andusually bare of vegetation. Thermometer at sunrise, 28 deg.; at noon, 73 deg.; at4 P.M., 78 deg.; at 9, 47 deg.;--with wet bulb, 42 deg..

3D SEPTEMBER.--Another morning worthy of "Eden in her earliest hour." Thethermometer 31 deg. at day-break, with a little dew. The notes of the magpieor GYMNORHINA, resounded through the shady brigalow, and the rich brownsand reddish greens of that prolific bush contrasted with its dense greyshades, were very beautiful. We found the Nogoa much in the same state aswhen we left it. No flood had come down the channel of that river. Thetracks of the feet of many natives were visible along the old route, andbushes had been burnt all along the line; but it is remarkable that in nocase had they injured or defaced the letters and numerals marked on treesat the various camps, nor disturbed our temporary bridges. We cut our waythrough a scrub of brigalow, thus passing camps XLVIII., XLVII., andXLVI., encamping at a short distance from the latter of these places.Thermometer, at sunrise, 31 deg.; at noon, 74 deg.; at 4 P. M., 75 deg.; at 9, 52 deg.;with wet bulb, 40 deg..

4TH SEPTEMBER.--The surrounding grass, and also the reeds in the lake,had been very extensively burnt along our former tracks, and a green cropwas springing to the great gratification and refreshment of our cattle.Formerly this splendid valley appeared to be uninhabited, but this day,proofs were not wanting that it was too charming a spot of earth to beleft so. In proceeding over an open part of the plains bordering theriver, we perceived a line of about twelve or fourteen natives beforethey had observed us. Through my glass, I saw they were painted red aboutthe face, and that there were females amongst them. They halted on seeingus, but some soon began to run, while two very courageously andjudiciously took up a position on each side of a reedy swamp, evidentlywith the intention of covering the retreat of the rest. The men who ranhad taken on their backs the heavy loads of the gins, and it was rathercurious to see long-bearded figures stooping under such loads. Such aninstance of civility, I had never before witnessed in the Australiannatives towards their females; for these men appeared to carry also someof the uncouth-shaped loads like mummies. The two acting as a rear guardbehaved as if they thought we had not the faculty of sight as well asthemselves, and evidently believed that by standing perfectly still, andstooping slowly to a level with the dry grass, when we passed nearest tothem, they could deceive us into the idea that they were stumps of burnttrees. After we had passed, they were seen to enter the brigalow, andmake ahead of us; by which movement I learnt that part of the tribe wasstill before us. Some time afterwards, we overtook that portion whencrossing an open interval of the woods; they made for the scrub on seeingus. Meanwhile columns of smoke ascended in various directions before us,and two natives beyond the river, were seen to set up a great blazethere. To the westward of the beautifully broken rocky woody range beyondLake Salvator, a dense smoke also arose, and continued until evening;thus adding much sublimity to the effect of a gorgeous sunset, whichpoured its beams through the smoke between the rocky pinnacles, as I satdrawing the scene at my camp by the lake, two miles northward of XLV.Thermometer, at sunrise, 26 deg.; at noon, 67 deg.; at 4 P.M., 65 deg.; at 9, 39 deg.;--with wet bulb, 32 deg..

5TH SEPTEMBER.--The cooler air reminded us that we had returned to a moreelevated region than that on the Belyando. This morning heavy clouds ofcumulostratus promised more rain, and gave a cool day for the last effortof the jaded animals, which the driver doubted could not be driven muchfarther. I cut off all the roundabouts and steep pulls, where this couldbe done, by laying logs across such gullies as we were obliged to cross.We thus saw more of the river and its romantic scenery, which welldeserved the name of a painter. No natives, nor columns of smoke, wereseen this day; and I concluded that they concentrated the tribeyesterday, and had departed this morning. We finally took up a very snugposition near the pyramids, in the very gorge of the mountain valley bywhich we had approached this country; camp XLVI. being within sight, andthe swamp with the spring, at the foot of this hill on which we nowencamped, as a camp of occupation during my intended absence, on anexcursion with horses only, to the north-west. The genial influence ofspring had already induced many plants to show their colours, which hadformerly been passed by us unnoticed. In the sandy soil, grew the purple-flowered CHLOANTHES STOECHADIS; THE ACACIA CUNNINGHAMII; the pink-flowered CRYPTANDRA PROPINQUA; and a species of CALYTRIX; these twoforming small shrubs, the latter from four to six feet high. A veryhandsome new BORONIA, with large white and red downy flowers, here firstappeared in the open forest.[*] The rocks were partly covered with asmall white-flowered shrub, which proved to be a new species ofLEPTOSPERMUM allied to L. PUBESCENS, but perfectly distinct.[**] At thefoot of them, was found the AOTUS MOLLIS, a little hoary bush, withyellow black flowers; a santalaceous plant like CHORETRUM, forming a treefifteen or twenty feet high: the CALLITRIS GLAUCA or CUPRESSUS GLAUCA ofALL. CUNN. (in Hook. Herb.). A small tree, about twenty-five feet high,proved to be a new species of Acacia, or possibly a variety of A.CUNNINGHAMII, but handsomer, with larger phyllodia, longer spikes offlowers, and everywhere clothed with a soft velvety pubescence.[***]Thermometer, at sunrise, 33 deg.; at noon, 68 deg.; at 4 P. M., 64 deg.; at 9, 40 deg.;--with wet bulb, 31 deg..

PREPARATIONS FOR A RIDE TO THE NORTH-WEST.--DESPATCH LEFT WITH THE PARTYSTATING WHAT HAD BEEN DONE.--ASCEND EAST SHOULDER OF MOUNT PLUTO.--PASSAGE TO THE WESTWARD.--NAME OF THE WARREGASCERTAINED.--THE RIVERNIVE.--ITS COURSE TURNS SOUTHWARD.--CROSS A LOW RANGE.--PLAINS OF THEVICTORIA DISCOVERED.--EXTENSIVE DOWNS TRAVERSED.--RIVER SPREADS INTOVARIOUS CHANNELS.--TRIBUTARIES JOIN IT FROM THE N. E. OR RIGHT BANK.--THERIVER ALICE.--NATIVE CAMP.--A TRIBE SURPRISED WHILE BATHING.--LOWESTPOINT OF THE RIVER REACHED.--RETURN BY THE LEFT BANK.--TRIBUTARIES FROMTHE SOUTH.--GOWEN RANGE.--ENTER OUTWARD TRACK.--PROVISIONS EXHAUSTED.--ASCEND WEST SHOULDER OF MOUNT PLUTO.--RETURN TO THE CAMP AT THEPYRAMIDS.--NEW PLANTS COLLECTED THERE DURING MY ABSENCE.

6TH AND 7TH SEPTEMBER.--It being necessary to rest and refresh the horsesfor a few days before setting out with the freshest of them, all beingleg-weary, I determined to halt here four clear days; and during thesetwo, I completed my maps, and took a few rough sketches of scenery withina few miles of the camp. The whole of the grass had been assiduouslyburnt by the natives, and a young crop was coming up. This rendered thespot more eligible for our camp, both because the young grass was highlyrelished by the cattle, and because no dry grass remained to be set fireto, which, in the case of any hostility on the part of the natives, isusually the first thing they do. Thermometer, at sunrise, 33 deg.; at noon,68 deg.; at 4 P.M., 64 deg.; at 9, 40 deg.;--with wet bulb, 31 deg..

8TH AND 9TH SEPTEMBER.--I employed my time these two days in writing adespatch to the governor of New South Wales, giving a detailed account ofmy proceedings and discoveries down to the present time; that in theevent of any misfortune befalling me or the very small party now toaccompany me, this despatch should be forthcoming, as I intended to leaveit at this depot camp. On the 8th, heavy clouds gathered over us, and afine heavy shower fell, a circumstance most auspicious for our intendedride; but it was of brief duration; and, although the sky continuedovercast even until the evening of the 9th, no rain fell, in sufficientquantity to fill the water-courses. It was, however, enough to producedew for some mornings to come. Thermometer, at sunrise of the 8th, 53 deg.;at noon, 55 deg.; at 4 P. M., 57 deg.; at 9, 50 deg.;--with wet bulb, 46 deg.; and atsunrise of the 9th, 39 deg.; at noon, 77 deg.; at 4 P.M., 70 deg.; at 9, 52 deg.;--withwet bulb, 45 deg..

10TH SEPTEMBER.--I set out on a fine clear morning, with two men andYuranigh mounted, and leading two pack-horses carrying my sextant, falsehorizon, and a month's provisions. Returning, still up the valley, alongour old track to Camp XLIII., I there struck off to the S.W., followingup a similar valley, which came down from that side. This valley led verystraight towards Mount Pluto, the nearest of the three volcanic cones,which I had already intersected from various points. The other two I hadnamed Mount Hutton and Mount Playfair. These three hills formed anobtuse-angled triangle, whereof the longest side was to the north-west,and, therefore, I expected that there the elevated land might be found toform an angle somewhat corresponding with the directions of the twoshorter sides; in which case, it was probable that, to the westward ofsuch an angle in the range, I might find what had been so long the objectof these researches, viz., a river flowing to the Gulf of Carpentaria. Wereached Mount Pluto, at the distance given by my former observations asfar as could be ascertained by the mode of measurement I employed then;which was by counting my horse's paces. On ascending the mountain onfoot, I found a deep chasm still between me and the western summit, whichwas not only the highest, but the only part clear of bushes. A thick andvery thorny scrub had already so impeded my ascent, that the best portionof the afternoon was gone, before I could return to the horses; and Iresolved, therefore, to continue my ride, and to defer the ascent andobservation of angles from the summit, until my return from the unknownwestern country, which we were about to explore; the search for waterthat night being an object of too much importance to be longer deferred.We, accordingly, passed on by the southward and westward of the mountain,following a watercourse, which led first N. W., then north, and next E.of N.; to where it at length joined one from the west, up which I turned,and continued the search for water until darkness obliged us to halt.During that search for water, my horse fell with me into a deep hole, soconcealed and covered with long grass, that we both wholly disappearedfrom those following; and yet, strange to say, without either of us beingin the least hurt. We encamped where there was, at least, good grass;but--no water.

11TH SEPTEMBER.--Within 400 yards of the spot where we had slept, wefound a small pond. The water was of that rich brown tint so well knownto those with whom water is most precious, and to whom, after longcustom, clear water seems, like some wines, to want body. Here we hadbreakfast, and we took also a bagful of water[*] with us. This timelysupply relieved me from the necessity for following up the windings ofsome water-course; and I could proceed in a straight direction, westward.We passed, at first, through rather thick scrub, until, at length, Iperceived a sharp pic before me, which I ascended. It consisted of traprock, as did also the range to which it belonged, being rather a lateralfeature thereof. Mount Hutton, Mount Pluto, and Mount Playfair, were allvisible from it, as were also Mounts Owen and Faraday. The connectionsextended westward; for to the W.N.W. the broken cliffs at the head of theSalvator and the Claude, were not very distant, and these I was carefulto avoid. A range immediately westward of this cone, was higher than it,and extended from Mount Playfair. To cross that range at its lowest part,which bore 26 deg. W. of S., was our next object. We found the range coveredwith brigalow and other still more impervious scrubs. On the crest, therock consisted of clay ironstone. The centigrade thermometer stood, atnoon, at 30 deg. 5' equal to 87 deg., of Fahrenheit; the height above the sea wemade 2032 feet. Beyond this crest, we encountered a scrub of mattedvines, which hung down like ropes, and pulled some of us off our horses,when it happened that any of these ropes were not observed in time inriding through the thicket. A very dense forest of young Callitris treesnext impeded us, and were more formidable than even the vines. The daywas passed in forcing our way through these various scrubs, the grounddeclining by a gentle slope only. We next found firmer soil underfoot,that where the Callitris scrub grew having been sandy, and we saw atlength, with a feeling of relief, that only brigalow scrub was before us;we ascended gravelly hills, came upon a dry water-course, and then on achain of ponds. Near one of these ponds, sate an old woman, beside afire, of course, although the weather was very warm; and a large net,used for taking emus, hung on a brigalow bush close by. The men wereabsent, looking for food, as we partly conjectured, for little couldYuranigh make out of what she said, besides the names of some rivers, towhich I could point with the hand. I was surprised to find that here, thename for water was "Narran," the name for it in the district of theBalonne being "Nadyeen," whereas the word for water amongst the tribes ofthe Darling is Kalli. That the "Narran" river and swamp are named fromthis language of tribes now dwelling much further northward, seemsobvious; and, as the natives on the Darling know little of the "Narran"or its swamp, it may be inferred that there the migration of nativetribes has been progressive from south to north; the highest known landin Australia being also to the southward of the Darling. The chain ofponds, according to the old woman, was named "Cunno," and ran into the"Warreg" which, as she pointed, was evidently the name of the river wehad formerly traced downwards from near Mount P. P. King. I left the"Cunno," and plunged into the brigalow to the northward, thus crossing aslightly elevated range, where we found a little water-course fallingN.N.W. By following this downwards, we found water in it, as twilightgrew obscure, and gladly halted beside it for the night, in latitude 25 deg.S.

[* A thick flour-bag covered outside with melted mutton-fat.]

12TH SEPTEMBER.--At 7 A.M. the thermometer was 59 deg.; our height then abovethe sea has been ascertained to have been 1787 feet. Continuing to followdown the brigalow creek, we found that it joined a chain of ponds runningN.E., and these we traced in the contrary direction, or upwards, as faras seemed desirable. We struck off from that water-course, first to theN.W., then to the W., arriving soon at a steep low ridge of clayironstone, which was covered thick with brigalow. We crossed that lowridge, and, at a distance of about a mile and a half beyond, met anotheracclivity still more abrupt and stony. This we also ascended, and foundupon it a "malga" scrub: the "malga" being a tree having hard spiky drybranches, which project like fixed bayonets, to receive the charge ofourselves, horses, and flour-bags; but all which formidable array wenevertheless successfully broke through, and arrived at the head of arocky gully, falling N.W. Down this, however, we attempted in vain topass, and in backing out we again faced the "malga," until, seeing a flaton the right, I entered it, and there fell in with the water-courseagain. It led us many miles, generally in a N.W. direction, and containedsome fine ponds, and entered, at length, a little river, whose banks werethickly set with large yarra trees. The general course of this river wasW.N.W., until it was joined by one coming from the N., and at thejunction there was a deep broad pond of clear water. At this we wateredour horses, and passed on to encamp under some rocky hills, threequarters of a mile to the N.N.W. of that junction, in latitude 24 deg. 52'50" S. The temperature at noon this day, on the highest part of the ridgewe crossed, was 84 deg.; the height there above the sea, 1954 feet; and at 3P.M., in channel of water-course, the thermometer stood at 89 deg.; theheight there above the sea being 1778 feet.

13TH SEPTEMBER.--At 7 A.M. the thermometer stood at 38 deg.; the height abovethe sea was found to be 1659 feet. I verily believed that THIS riverwould run to Carpentaria, and I called it the Nive, at least as aconventional name until the native name could be ascertained, incommemoration of Lord Wellington's action on the river of that name; and,to the tributary from the north, I gave the name of Nivelle. Pursuing theunited channel downwards, we traversed fine open grassy plains. The airwas fragrant from the many flowers then springing up, especially wherethe natives had burnt the grass. Among them were MORGANIA GLABRA;EREMOPHILA MITCHELLII; a singular little POLYGONUM with the aspect of aTILLOEA; two very distinct little FRANKENIAS[*], and a new scabrousHALORAGIS with pinnatifid leaves.[**] The extensive burning by thenatives, a work of considerable labour, and performed in dry warmweather, left tracts in the open forest, which had become green as anemerald with the young crop of grass. These plains were thickly imprintedwith the feet of kangaroos, and the work is undertaken by the natives toattract these animals to such places. How natural must be the aversion ofthe natives to the intrusion of another race of men with cattle: peoplewho recognise no right in the aborigines to either the grass they havethus worked from infancy, nor to the kangaroos they have hunted withtheir fathers. No, nor yet to the emus they kill FOR their fathers ONLY;these birds being reserved, or held sacred, for the sole use of the oldmen and women!

The river pursued a course to the southward of west for nine miles, butit turned afterwards southward, eastward, and even to the northward of E.After tracing it thus twenty-two miles, without seeing any water in itsbed (which was broad, but every where choked with sand), we were obligedto encamp, and endure this privation after a very warm and laborious day.Where the natives obtained water themselves, quite puzzled Yuranigh, forwe passed by spacious encampments of theirs, and tracts they had set fireto, where trees still lay smoking.

14TH SEPTEMBER.--The temperature at 7 this morning was 72 deg. of Fahrenheit;the height above the sea, of the river bed, as subsequently determined byCaptain King, 1470 feet. With the earliest light, I had laid down mysurvey of this river, by which the course appeared to have turned towardsthe S.E. This not being what was desired, I took a direct northerlycourse through the scrub, towards a hill on the left bank, whence I hadseen, on our way down, a rocky gap to the N.W. in a brigalow range. Aftera ride of eight miles, by which we cut off the grand curve in the river'scourse, we arrived at this hill. I hoped to have found water near thespot, in a sharp turn in the river which I had not examined, and nearwhich, on the day before, I had seen two emus, under a bank covered withbrigalow scrub. Nor was I disappointed, for after finding traces of arecent current into the river-bed at that point, I discovered, at lessthan a hundred yards up, a fine pond of precious OPAL--I mean notcrystal, but that fine bluey liquid which I found always so cool andrefreshing when it lay on clay in the shady recesses of brigalow scrubs,a beverage much more grateful to our taste than the common "crystalspring." Here, then, we watered our impatient horses, and enjoyed a washand breakfast--the men (two old soldiers) being D'ACCORD in one sentimentof gratitude to a bountiful Providence for this water. Like "a giantrefreshed with wine," we next set out for the gap to the north-west, andpassed through an open brigalow scrub, ascending very gradually, during aride of three miles, to where I at length could discover that the fallwas in the other direction. At this point, I observed the barometer,which indicated our height above the sea to be 1812 feet. Fahrenheit'sthermometer stood then (5 P.M.) at 86 deg.. The dry channel of a water-coursehad afforded us an opening through the scrub, and had also guided us tothe highest part of the ground. The fresh prints of the feet of three menin the smooth bare sand, told us that the same natives whose trackYuranigh had seen in the river we traced yesterday, were now going in thesame direction as ourselves, and just before us; for the smell of theirburning fire-sticks, and even small portions of burning embers which haddropped, made this evident. The higher ground was flat, and on it therosewood acacia grew amongst the brigalow. The rocky gap (in a ridge) wasstill distant at least three miles; the sun nearly set, and not a bladeof grass visible amongst the brigalow bushes. But what was all this tothe romantic uncertainty as to what lay beyond! With eager steps wefollowed a slight channel downwards; found that it descended more rapidlythan the one by which we had ascended; that it also increased, and wewere guided by it into a little valley, verdant with young grass, whileyet the red sky over a departed sun shone reflected from several broadponds of water. This seemed to us a charming spot, so opportunely andunexpectedly found, and we alighted on a fine grassy flat by the marginof a small lagoon, where stood a most graceful group of bushes forshelter or shade. After sunset, the sky was overcast with very heavyclouds; the air was sultry, and we expected rain.

15TH SEPTEMBER.--As soon as daylight appeared I hastened towards the gap,and ascended a naked rock on the west side of it. I there beheld downsand plains extending westward beyond the reach of vision, bounded on theS. W. by woods and low ranges, and on the N. E. by higher ranges; thewhole of these open downs declining to the N. W., in which direction aline of trees marked the course of a river traceable to the remotestverge of the horizon. There I found then, at last, the realization of mylong cherished hopes, an interior river falling to the N. W. in the heartof an open country extending also in that direction. Ulloa's delight atthe first view of the Pacific could not have surpassed mine on thisoccasion, nor could the fervour with which he was impressed at the momenthave exceeded my sense of gratitude, for being allowed to make such adiscovery. From that rock, the scene was so extensive as to leave no roomfor doubt as to the course of the river, which, thus and there revealedto me alone, seemed like a reward direct from Heaven for perseverance,and as a compensation for the many sacrifices I had made, in order tosolve the question as to the interior rivers of Tropical Australia. To anEuropean, the prospect of an open country has a double charm in regionsfor the most part covered with primaeval forests, calling up pleasingreminiscences of the past, brighter prospects for the future--inspiring asense of freedom, especially when viewed from the back of a good horse:--

"A steed! a steed! of matchless speede, A sword of metal keene--All elseto noble minds is drosse, All else on earth is meane!" --OLD SONG.

I hastened back to my little party (distant a mile and a half from thegap), and immediately made them mount to follow me down the watercourse,which, as I had seen from the rock, would lead us into the open country.The little chain of ponds led westward, until the boundless downsappeared through the woods; a scene most refreshing to us, on emergingfrom so many thick scrubs. Our little river, after crossing much openplain, fell into another coming from E.S.E., and columns of smoke far inthe N.W. showed that there was water, by showing there were inhabitants.The grass on these downs was of the richest sort, chiefly PANICUMLOEVINODE, and I was not sorry to recognise amongst it, SALSOLOE, and theACACIA PENDULA, amongst the shrubs. As we followed the river downwards,the open downs appeared on the W.N.W. horizon as if interminable. Thisriver, unlike that I had called the Nive, had no sand in its bed, whichconsisted of firm clay, and contained deep hollows, and the beds of longreaches, then, however, all dry, while abundance of large UNIO shells layupon the banks, and proved that the drought was not of common occurrence.The general course of the river I found to be about W.N.W. true. Wecontinued to follow it through its windings all day, which I certainlyshould not have done, but for the sake of water, as our progressdownwards was thus much retarded. Towards evening, Corporal Grahamdiscovered water in a small tributary coming from the S.E., whileYuranigh found some also in the main channel, where that tributary fellinto it. We encamped on Graham's ponds, as this was called, and turnedour horses loose on the wide plain, up to the knees in grass half dry,half green, that they might be the more fit "for the field to-morrow."The sky had been lowering all day, and the heat was intense; but duringthe night, the air was delicious for sleeping in, under heaven's canopyand protection.

16TH SEPTEMBER.--The "gorgeous curtains of the East" over grandly formedclouds harmonised well with my sentiments on awaking, again to trace, asif I had been the earliest man, the various features of these fineregions of earth. At 7 A.M. the temperature was 63 deg.; and (fromobservations registered then) the height above the sea has been found tobe 1216 feet. Throughout the day we travelled over fine downs and plainscovered with the finest grass, having the river on our right. Beyond it,we saw hills, which seemed to be of greater height in proportion as wedescended with the river. Some were much broken, and appeared to presentprecipices on the other side. A broad valley extended westward frombetween the farthest of these broken ranges, which range seemed to be anoffshoot from one further eastward. On examining the river, below thesupposed junction of a tributary from the east, I found its characteraltered, forming ponds amongst brigalow trees. Water was, however,scarce. We fortunately watered our horses about 3 P.M., at the only holewe had seen that day, a small muddy puddle. The ACACIA PENDULA formed abelt outside the brigalow, between the river and the open plains, andmany birds and plants reminded us of the Darling; the rose cockatoo andcrested-pigeon, amongst the former; SALSOLOE and SOLANUM amongst thelatter. At length, we saw before us, to the westward, bold precipitoushills, extending also to the southward of west. A thunder storm came overus, and night advancing, we halted without seeing more, for that day, ofthe interesting country before us, and having only water enough for ourown use, the product of the shower. No pond was found for the horses,although we had searched for one, many miles in the bed of the river.Still, the remains of mussel shells on the banks bore testimony thatwater was seldom so scarce in this river, flowing as it did through thefinest and most extensive pastoral region I had ever seen.

17TH SEPTEMBER.--The temperature at seven this morning was 57 deg.; ourheight above the sea 1112 feet. "Like the gay birds that" awoke us from"repose" we were "content," but certainly not "careless of tomorrow'sfare;" for unless we found water to-day, "to-morrow" had found us unableeither to proceed or return! Trusting wholly to Providence, however, wewent forward, and found a pond in the river bed, not distant more thantwo miles from where we had slept. In making a cut next through abrigalow scrub, towards where I hoped to hit the river, in a nearlywesterly direction, I came out upon open downs, and turned again into abrigalow scrub on my right. After travelling a good many miles, N.W.,through this scrub, we arrived on the verge of a plain of dead brigalow;and still pursuing the same course, we came out, at length, upon opendowns extending far to the northward. I continued to ride in thatdirection to a clear hill, and from it I obtained a view of a range offlat-topped hills, that seemed to extend W.N.W.; the most westerlyportion of these being the steep-sided mass seen before us yesterday.They now lay far to the northward, and the intervening country was partlylow and woody, and partly consisted of the downs we were upon. But wherewas the river? Yarra trees and other indications of one appeared nearestto us in an easterly direction, at the foot of some well-formed hollowson that side the downs. Towards that point I therefore shaped my course,and there found the river--no longer a chain of dry ponds in brigalowscrub, but a channel shaded by lofty yarra trees, with open grassy banks,and containing long reaches full of water. White cockatoos shrieked aboveus; ducks floated, or flew about, and columns of smoke began to ascendfrom the woods before us. This was now, indeed, a river, and I lost notime in following it downwards. The direction was west; then north-west,tolerably straight. Water was abundant in its bed; the breadth wasconsiderable, and the channel was well-marked by bold lofty banks. Iremarked the salt-bush of the Bogan plains, growing here, on sand-islandsof this river. The grass surpassed any I had ever seen in the colony inquality and abundance. The slow flying pelican appeared over our heads,and we came to a long broad reach covered with ducks, where the channelhad all the appearance of a river of the first magnitude. The old mussleshells (UNIO) lay in heaps, like cart-loads, all along the banks, butstill we saw none of the natives. Flames, however, arose from the woodsbeyond the opposite bank, at once in many directions, as if by magic, aswe advanced. At 3 P.M. Fahrenheit's thermometer in the shade stood at90 deg.. Towards evening, we saw part of the bed dry, and found itcontinuously so, as night came on. The sun had set, while I stillanxiously explored the dry recesses of the channel in search of water,without much hopes of success, when a wild yell arose from the woods backfrom the channel, which assured us that water was near. Towards thatquarter we turned, and Yuranigh soon found a fine pond in a small ana-branch, upon which we immediately halted, and took up our abode there forthe night. It may seem strange that so small a number could act thusunmolested by the native tribes, but our safety consisted chiefly in therapidity of our movements, and their terror of strangers wholly unknown,perhaps unheard of, arriving on the backs of huge animals, or centaurswhose tramp they had only heard at nightfall. Like Burns's "Auld Nick,"

----"rustling through the boortrees comin' Wi' eerie sought!"

our passage was too rapid to admit of any design for attack or annoyancebeing concocted, much less, carried into effect; next night we hoped tosleep thirty miles off, where our coming would be equally unexpected bynatives. Latitude, 24 deg. 34' 30" S.

18TH SEPTEMBER.--At 7 A.M. the temperature of the air was 72 deg.; the heightof the spot above the sea, 995 feet. Keeping along the river bank forsome miles, I found its general course to be about N.W.; and seeing cleardowns beyond the right bank, I crossed, and proceeded towards the highestclear hill on the horizon. There I obtained a distant view of the rangesintersected yesterday, and of their prolongations. That to the northwardof the river, whose general direction to the point already fixed had been22 deg. W. of N., there formed an angle, and continued, as far as I couldjudge by the eye, nearly northward. The range to the southward of theriver also turned off, extending nearly to the southward. These twolimits of the vast valley, thus receding from the river so as to leave itample room to turn and wind on either side, amidst its accompanyingwoods, through grassy downs of great extent, obliged me to explore itscourse with closer attention. From another clear hill on these downs, towhich I next proceeded, I thought I perceived the line of another rivercoming from ranges in the N.E., and expecting it would join that whosecourse we had thus far explored, I proceeded in a nearly N.W. directionover open downs towards the line of trees. I found therein a fine pond ofwater, the soil of the downs consisting of stiff clay. MESEMBRYANTHEMUMand various SALSOLOE appeared in some parts. My horses being ratherjaded, I halted rather early here, and laid down my journey, protractingalso the angles I had observed of the points of distant ranges. Latitude,24 deg. 27' 27" S. I found by the barometer that we were already much lowerthan the rivers Salvator and Claude, and the upper part, at least, of theBelyando; while we were still remote from the channel we were pursuing.

19TH SEPTEMBER.--The thermometer at 7 A.M. stood at 57 deg.. The height ofthese ponds above the sea was 861 feet. Young, I think, has said, that asituation might be imagined between earth and heaven, where a man shouldhear nothing but the thoughts of the Almighty; but such a sublimeposition seems almost attained by him who is the first permitted totraverse extensive portions of earth, as yet unoccupied by man; towitness in solitude and silence regions well adapted to his use, brings aman into more immediate converse with the Author both of his being, andof all other combinations of matter than any other imaginable position hecan attain. With nothing but nature around him; his few wants suppliedalmost miraculously; living on from day to day, just as he falls in withwater; his existence is felt to be in the hands of Providence alone; andthis feeling pervades even the minds of the least susceptible, injourneys like these. Those splendid plains where, without a horse, manseems a helpless animal, are avoided, and are said to be shunned anddisliked by the aboriginal man of the woods. Even their lonelyinhabitant, the emu, seems to need both wings and feet, that he mayventure across them. We travelled nearly west over plains; then through abrigalow scrub, two miles in breadth; emerging from which, on a perfectlylevel plain of very rich soil, we turned rather to the southward of west,to where the distant line of river-trees seemed most accessible. Bushesof ACACIA PENDULA skirted this plain; and, passing through them, wecrossed a track of nearly half a mile wide of soft sand, evidently aconcomitant feature of the river. We next traversed a belt of firm blueclay, on which a salsolaceous bush appeared to be the chief vegetation;and, between it and the river, was another belt of sand a mile broad, onwhich grew a scrub of rosewood acacia. The river there ran in fourseparate channels, amongst various trees; brigalow and yarra being bothamongst them. I crossed these channels, and continued westward that Imight ascend a hill on the downs beyond. From that eminence, no hill wasvisible on any part of the horizon, which everywhere presented only downsand woods. Far in the S.W. a hollow admitted of a very distant view,which terminated in downs beyond a woody valley. The course of our riverappeared to be N.W., as seen by Yuranigh, from a tree we found here. Inthat direction I therefore proceeded; recrossing the river, where, in ageneral breadth of about 400 yards, it formed five channels. The grasswas more verdant here, and the ponds in these small separate channelsseemed likely to contain water. We continued N. W. across fine cleardowns, where we found the heat so intense, (Centigrade thermometer, 37 deg.,or 99 deg. of Fahrenheit,) that I halted two hours under the shade of a smallclump of trees. When we continued our ride in the afternoon, three emusthat had been feeding on the downs came inquisitively forward; curiosity,apparently inspiring them with more courage than even the humaninhabitants. Unfortunately for these birds, our bacon had become soimpalatable that a change of diet was very desirable, and Graham,therefore, met them half-way on his horse; the quadruped inspiring moreconfidence in the bird. It was curious to witness the first meeting ofthe large indigenous bird and large exotic quadruped--such strangeobjects to each other! on the wide plains where either of them could

----"overtake the south wind."

One of the emus was easily shot from the horse's side, and, that eveningbeing the Saturday night of a very laborious week, we were not slow inseeking out a shady spot by the side of a pond in the river bed. There mymen had a feast, with the exception of Yuranigh; who, although unable toeat our salt bacon, religiously abstained from eating emu flesh, althoughhe skinned the bird and cut it up, SECUNDUM ARTEM, for the use of thewhite men. The channel of the river was still divided here, amongstbrigalow bushes. We only reached it by twilight. Thermometer, at 6 P.M.,86 deg.. Height above the sea, 758 feet.

20TH SEPTEMBER.--At 7 A.M. the thermometer was 78 deg.. Water appearing to bemore constant now in the river, I ventured to pursue its general coursein straighter lines, across the fine open downs, which lay to theeastward of it. Beyond these I perceived lines of wood as belonging toanother river; and, on advancing in that direction, I first encountered agreat breadth of brigalow scrub; next, we entered a rosewood scrub,redolent with blossom; then an open forest, in which we found the deepwell-formed channel of a river coming from the eastward. The bottom wasrocky, and bore marks of a recent current. This river also spread intobranches: we crossed three, and then again entered upon open downs. Nextwe crossed a well-defined line of deep ponds, with yarra trees, andcoming from E.N.E. over the downs; and three miles further on, we crossedanother coming from N.E., on which, finding a good lagoon, I encampedearly, that the men might have time to cook for themselves some of theemu, and that the horses might also have some sufficient rest. Latitude,24 deg. 12' 42" S. Thermometer, at 1 P.M., 86 deg.. Height above the sea, 724feet.

21ST SEPTEMBER.--Thermometer at 6 A.M., 63 deg.. I found that the varioustributaries to the river channel had imparted to it a greater tendencywestward; but we fell in with it again six miles to the westward of wherewe had passed the night. Its character was the same--a concatenation ofponds amongst brigalow; but these seemed better filled with water,apparently from the more decided slopes and firmer soil of the adjacentcountry. The course next turned considerably to the southward of west,while one ana-branch separating from it, ran about westward. I found anopen plain between these, across which I travelled; until, again meetingthe southern branch, we crossed it where it seemed to turn more to thenorthward. The day was warm, and I halted two hours under the shade ofsome trees, where I laid down our journey on paper, and found we weremaking great progress towards Carpentaria, across a very open country. Wewere no longer in doubt about finding water, although in the heart ofAustralia, surrounded by an unbroken horizon. On proceeding, we passedsome large huts near the river, which were of a more substantialconstruction, and also on a better plan than those usually set up by theaborigines of the south. A frame like a lean-to roof had first beenerected; rafters had next been laid upon that; and, thereupon thin squareportions of bark were laid, like tiles. A fine pond of water being near,we there spancelled our horses and lay down for the night. At 5 P.M. thethermometer was at 82 deg.. Height above the sea, 707 feet.

22D SEPTEMBER.--Thermometer, at 6 A.M., 58 deg.. This was no sandybeddedriver like others we had discovered. The bed still consisted of firmclay, and now the rich vegetation on the banks presented so much novelty,that, without the means of carrying an herbarium, I was neverthelesstempted to select a bouquet of flowers for Dr. Lindley, and carry themamongst my folded maps. The very herbage at this camp was curious. Oneplant supplied an excellent dish of vegetables. There were othersresembling parsley, and having the taste of water-cresses with whiteturnip-like roots. Here grew also a dwarf or tropical CAPPARIS. Among thegrasses was a tawny ERIANTHUS, apparently the same as that formerly seenon the banks of the Bogan, and the curious DANTHONIA PECTINATA, gatheredin Australia Felix in 1836. There was also amongst the grasses aPAPPOPHORUM, which was perhaps the P. GRACILE, formerly collected in thetropical part of New Holland by Dr. Brown; and a very remarkable newspecies of the same curious genus, with an open narrow panicle, andlittle branches not unlike those of a young oat.[*] The river againformed a goodly continuous channel. Its most splendid feature, the wideopen plains, continued along its banks, and I set out on this, as we hadindeed on all other mornings since we made the discovery, intenselyinterested in the direction of its course. We had not prolonged ourjourney very far across the plains, keeping the trees of the river we hadleft visible on our right, when another line of river trees appeared overthe downs on our left. Thus it seemed we were between two rivers, withtheir junction before us, for the ground declined in that direction. Andso we found it. At about seven miles from where we had slept, we arrivedat the broad channel of the first river we had traced down, whoseimpetuous floods had left the trees half bent to the earth, and cloggedwith drift matter; not on any narrow space, but across a deep section of400 yards. The rocks in the channel were washed quite bare, and crystalwater lay in ponds amongst these rocks. A high gravelly bank, crownedwith brigalow, formed the western margin, but no brigalow could withstandthe impetuous currents, that evidently, at some seasons, swept downthere. It was quite refreshing to see all clear and green, over so broada water-worn space. The junction with the northern river took place justbelow, and I continued my journey, not a little curious to see what sortof a river would be formed by these channels when united. I found thedirection of the course to be about N.W., both running nearly parallel.About three miles on I approached the united channel, and found thebroad, deep, and placid waters of a river as large as the Murray. Pelicanand ducks floated upon it, and mussle-shells of extraordinary size lay insuch quantities, where the natives had been in the habit of eating them,as to resemble snow covering the ground. But even that reach seemeddiminutive when compared with the vast body of water whereof traces had,at another season, been left there; these affording evidence that,although wide, they had still been impetuous in their course. Verdurealone shone now, over the wide extent to which the waters sometimes rose.Beyond that channel lay the almost boundless plains, the whole togetherforming the finest region I had ever seen in Australia. Two kinds ofgrass grew on these plains; one of them a brome grass, possessing theremarkable property of shooting up green from the old stalk.

The bees were also new to Yuranigh, who drew my attention to theirextreme smallness; not much exceeding in size a knat or mosquito.Nevertheless, he could cut out their honey from hollow trees, and thusoccasionally procure for us a pleasant lunch, of a waxy compound, foundwith the honey, which, in appearance and taste much resembled finegingerbread. The honey itself was slightly acid, but clear and fineflavoured.

I hoped the deep reach would have been continuous, as it lookednavigable, even for steamers, but it continued so only for a few miles,beyond which the channel contained ponds only. I finally alighted besideone of these ponds, which was so large, indeed, that the colonists wouldhave called it a lagoon; this one being high above the river channel, ona verdant plain. As yet, we had not seen a single inhabitant of this ElDorado of Australia. At 2 P.M. thermometer 88 deg.. Height above the sea 712feet.

23D SEPTEMBER.--At 7 A.M. thermometer 59 deg.. Latitude 24 deg. 2' S. New flowersperfumed the dry bed of this river, and these showed, in their forms andstructure, that nature even in variety is infinite. I regretted I couldnot collect specimens. Our only care now, was the duration of ourprovisions. Water was less a subject of anxiety with me now, than it hadbeen at any period of the journey. We had made the Emu eke out our littlestock, and my men (two old soldiers) were willing to undergo anyprivation that might enable me to prolong my ride. This day completedhalf the month, but I was determined to follow the course of thisinteresting river at least four days longer. The back of one of our packhorses had become so sore, that he would no longer endure a load; wethrew away the pack saddle, and divided his load, so as to distribute itin portions, on some of the saddle horses and the other pack animal. Thecourse of the river towards the west, and our limited time, obliged me tostride over as much of the general direction as possible. I crossed theriver, and travelled across open downs. I saw the tops of its Yarra treeson my left. At about four miles, we crossed what seemed a large river,but which must have been only an ana-branch from the main stream. We nexttraversed a fine open down of six miles; the soil, a firm blue clay withgravel, and on this grew two varieties of grass which I had seen nowhereelse. The valley I next approached, contained the channel of a riverflowing towards our river; a tributary, which evidently bore impetuousfloods into it, sometimes. This also ran in three channels. I called itthe Alice.

As this new river was likely to turn the main stream off to the westwardor south, I travelled west by compass over vast downs, finely variegatedwith a few loose trees like a park, but extending on all sides to thehorizon. Where I looked for the main channel, I saw rising ground of thiskind; and meeting with another small river, with a stoney bed and waterin it, I bivouacqued, for the day was very hot; the thermometer, at 3P.M., 90 deg. in the shade. The pond here was much frequented by pigeons, anda new sort of elegant form and plumage, was so numerous that five werekilled at two shots. The head was jet-black, the neck milkwhite, thewings fawn-colour, having lower feathers of purple. I had no means ofpreserving a specimen, but I took a drawing of one.[*] Height above thesea here, 826 feet.

[* By which I find it has been named GEOPHAPS HISTRIONIEA.]

24TH SEPTEMBER.--I continued to seek the river across extensive downs, inmany parts of which dead brigalow stumps remained, apparently as if thedecay of that species of scrub gave place to open ground. I turned now tothe S.W., and became anxious to see the river again. At length we cameupon a creek, which I followed down, first to the S.W. and nextsoutherly, until it was time to alight, when we established our bivouacby a large lagoon in its bed, in latitude 24 deg. 3' 30" S. Thermometer, at 3P.M. 98 deg.. Height above the sea, 688 feet.

25TH SEPTEMBER.--At 6 A.M. the thermometer stood at 73 deg.. We ought to havebeen retrogressive yesterday, according to the time calculated on for ourstock of provisions; but we could not leave the river without tracing itto the furthest accesible point. We still continued, therefore, to followthe water-course which had brought us thus far, expecting at every turnto find its junction with the river, whose course had obviously turnedmore than usual to the southward. We fell in with a larger tributary fromthe N. W.; after which junction, the tributary took a more westerlydirection than the minor channel which brought us to it. We thus cameupon a large lagoon, beside which were the huts of a very numerous tribeof natives, who appeared to have been there very recently, as some of thefires were still burning. Well beaten paths, and large permanent huts,were seen beyond that encampment; and it was plain that we had enteredthe home of a numerous tribe. I should have gladly avoided them at thattime, had not a sight of the river been indispensable, and the course ofthe creek we were upon, the only certain guide to it. Level plainsextended along its banks, and I had been disappointed by the appearanceof lofty Yarra trees, which grew on the banks of large lagoons. Onapproaching one of these, loud shrieks of many women and children, andthe angry voices of men, apprised me that we had, at length, overtakenthe tribe; and, unfortunately, had come upon them by surprise. "AYAMINYA!" was vociferated repeatedly, and was understood to mean, "What doyou want!" (What seek ye in the land of Macgregor!) I steadily adhered tomy new plan of tactics towards the aborigines, and took not the slightestnotice of them, but steadily rode forward, according to my compassbearing. On looking back for my men, I saw one beckoning me to return. Hehad observed two natives, with spears and clubs, hide themselves behind abush in the direction in which I was advancing. On my halting, they stoleaway, and, when a little further on, I perceived an old white-hairedwoman before me, on seeing whom I turned slightly to one side, that wemight not frighten her or provoke the tribe. The whole party seemed tohave been amusing themselves in the water during the noon-day heat, whichwas excessive; and the cool shades around the lagoon looked mostluxuriant. Our position, on the contrary, was anything but enviable. Withjaded horses scarcely able to lift a leg, amongst so many natives, whoselanguage was incomprehensible, even to Yuranigh. I asked him whether wemight not come to a parley with them, and see if they could understandhim. His answer was brief; and, without turning even his head once tolook at them:--"You go on!" which advice, quite according with my ownnotions, founded on experience, I willingly went on. Even there, in theheart of the interior, on a river utterly unheard of by white men, aniron tomahawk glittered on high in the hand of a chief, having a verylong handle to it. The anxious care of the females to carry off theirchildren seemed the most agreeable feature in the scene, and they had amode of carrying them on the haunch, which was different from anything Ihad seen. Some had been digging in the mud for worms, others searchingfor freshwater muscles; and if the whole could have been witnessedunperceived, such a scene of domestic life amongst the aborigines hadbeen worth a little more risk. The strong men assumed a strange attitude,which seemed very expressive of surprise; having the right knee bent, theleft leg forward, the right arm dropping, but grasping clubs; the leftarm raised, and the fingers spread out. "Aya, aya, minya!" theycontinually shouted; and well might they ask what we wanted! Hoping theywould believe us to be Centaurs, and include the two old pack-horses incounting our numbers, I had not the slightest desire to let them know usmore particularly; and so travelled on, glad, at length, to hear their"Aya minyas" grow fainter, and that we were leaving them behind. Aboutfive miles further south, the perfume from the liliaceous banks of theriver was the first indication of its vicinity. We found it full 400yards broad, presenting its usual characteristics,--several separatechannels and ponds of water; there, according to the barometer, theheight above the sea was only 633 feet; the temperature at 3 P. M., inthe shade, 99 deg. of Fahrenheit. We watered our horses, crossed, and plungedinto the brigalow beyond, where I meant to steal a march upon the noisytribe; who, by that time, probably were sending to call in their huntingparties, that they might follow our track. Their mode of killing akangaroo may best exemplify their tactics towards strangers; whose pathin the same manner could be followed by day, and sat down beside atnight, to be again tracked in the morning, until the object of pursuitcould be overtaken. The brigalow beyond the river grew on a rising groundof sharpedged red gravel, and, from a small opening, I saw the course ofthe river running nearly northward. Here, then, I turned towards the eastto travel home by ascending the left bank, with the intention to cut offthe great sweep which the river described, as we had found on tracing itdown; and, in hopes we should so intercept any tributaries it mightreceive from that side. At dusk, I met with one containing a fine lagoon,and near this I fixed my bivouac. Yuranigh most firmly objected to oursitting down close by the water, saying we might there be too easilyspeared by the wild natives who were then, probably, on our track; but hedid not object to my bivouac on the more open plain adjacent, one mankeeping a good look-out. I called these, Yuranigh's ponds. Latitude, 24 deg.19' 2" S.

26TH SEPTEMBER.--At 6 A. M. the thermometer stood at 61 deg.. My horse wasquite leg-weary, and I was very loath to force him on, but one day'sjourney further was indispensable. We traversed open plains and passedthrough patches of brigalow of an open kind of scrub. The surface wasgrassy, but very gravelly; indeed it was, in many places, so devoid ofmould as to resemble a newly Macadamized road,--the fragments being muchof that size, and in general of a reddish colour, consisting, for themost part, of a red siliceous compound. In a ride of twenty-six miles, wesaw no country much better, and I was obliged to conclude that the leftbank was by no means so good as the country on the right, or to thenorthward of the river. We arrived, however, by nightfall, at a goodlywater-course, in which we providentially found a pond, and encamped;resolved there to rest our horses next day, (being Sunday,) and mostthankful to Him to whom the day was dedicated. Latitude 24 deg. 12' 37" S.Thermometer, at 6 P.M., 92 deg..

27TH SEPTEMBER.--Thermometer, at 6 A. M., 68 deg.. On laying down my work onpaper, I found we had made a most favourable cut on the way homewards,our old bivouac of the 21st inst., being about due east from us, anddistant not quite fifteen miles; the great tributary from the S.E.passing between, upon which we could depend for a supply of water, if itshould be required.

It would appear that the finer the climate, and the fewer man's wants,the more he sinks towards the condition of the lower animals. Where thenatives had passed the night, no huts, even of bushes, had been set up; afew tufts of dry grass only, marked the spot where, beside a small fire,each person had sat folded up, like the capital letter N; but with thehead reclining on the knees, and the whole person resting on the feet andthigh-joints, clasped together by the hands grasping each ankle. Theiroccupation during the day was only wallowing in a muddy hole, in norespect cleaner than swine. They have no idea of any necessity forwashing themselves between their birth and the grave, while groping inmud for worms, with hands that have always an unpleasant fishy taint thatclings strangely to whatever they touch. The child of civilization thatwould stain even a shoe or a stocking with one spot of that mud, wouldprobably be whipt by the nurse: savage children are not subject to thatsort of restraint. Whether school discipline may have any thing to dowith the difference so remarkable between the animal spirits of childrenof civilised parents and those of savages, I shall make no remark; butthat the buoyancy of spirit and cheerfulness of the youth amongst thesavages of Australia, seem to render them agreeable companions to the menon their hunting excursions, almost as soon as they can run about. If thenaturalist looks a savage in the mouth, he finds ivory teeth, a cleantongue, and sweet breath; but in the mouth of a white specimen ofsimilar, or indeed less, age, it is ten to one but he would discover onlyimpurity and decay, however clean the shoes and stockings worn, orhowever fine the flour of which his or her food had consisted. What,then, is civilization in the economy of the human animal? one is led toinquire. A little reflection affords a satisfactory answer. Cultivatedman despises the perishable substance, and pursues the immortal shadow.Animal gratification is transient and dull, compared to the acquisitionof knowledge--the gratification of mind--the raptures of the poet, or thedelight of the enthusiast, however imaginary. It is true that, amongstcivilized men, substance is still represented by the yellow ore, and thatthe votaries of beauty "bend in silken slavery;" but are not beauty orgold as dust in the balance, substantial though they be, when weighed inlofty minds against glory or immortality? When the shadow he pursues isworth more, and is more enduring than the substance, well might it besaid that "Man is but a shadow, and life a dream." Such were myreflections on this day of rest, in the heart of a desert, whileprotected from the sun's rays by a blanket, and in some uncertainty howlong these dreams under it would continue undisturbed.

"The mind is its own place, and in itself Can make a heaven of hell: ahell of heaven!"

Thermometer, at 6 P. M., 90 deg..

28TH SEPTEMBER.--Thermometer, at 6 A. M., 63 deg.. The horses were muchrefreshed by that day's repose, and we this morning continued our journeyin an easterly direction, over downs and through open scrubs, meeting noimpediment from brigalow. We crossed the various branches of aconsiderable tributary coming from E.S.E., the only water seen this day,besides the great river; which we met with, exactly where, according toits general course, it was to be looked for. We crossed it, and encampedon the right bank of the northern river, at the place where I hadpreviously crossed.

This day I had discovered, from the highest parts of the downs, a rangeto the S. W., and was able to intersect some of the principal hills, andso determine its place and direction. I named the most westerly feature,Mount Gray; the lofty central mass, the Gowen Range, and a bold summitforming the eastern portion, Mount Koenig. I had now obtained datasufficient to enable me to determine the extent of the lower basin of theriver, by laying down the position and direction of the nearest ranges.The last-mentioned appeared flat-topped, and presented yellow cliffs likesandstone. At 6 P.M., the temperature was 81 deg..

29TH SEPTEMBER.--At 6 A.M., the thermometer was 59 deg.. Re-crossing theriver, I travelled, in a straight line, towards my camp of 19thSeptember: thus, performing in one, the journeys of two former days. Wecrossed the main channel we had previously traced down, thus identifyingit. The country was, in general, open; the downs well covered with grass,and redolent with the rich perfume of lilies and strange flowers, whichgrew all over them amongst the grass. We arrived at the spot I sought,and there encamped. Our provisions were nearly out; the sun havingreduced the men's sugar, and melted the bacon, which had been boiledbefore we set out. This was an unfortunate blunder. Bacon, in such warmweather, should be carried uncooked, and our's might have then been verygood. The men jocosely remarked, that, although we had out-manoeuvred thenatives, the weather had been so hot that, nevertheless, we could not"save our bacon." Thermometer, at 5 P.M., 83 deg..

30TH SEPTEMBER.--Thermometer, at 7 A.M., 67 deg.. I found, by my map, that Imight very much shorten the homeward route to next camp (that of 18thSeptember), by travelling towards it in a straight line across the downs.We accordingly set out on the bearing of 51/2 deg. S. of E., and hit the spotexactly at a distance of eighteen miles; arriving early, so as to affordsome good rest to our horses. We crossed open downs chiefly, passedthrough a narrow belt of brigalow (about a mile wide), and twice crosseda tributary to the river, which tributary we thus discovered. The water-course on which we had again encamped, arose in open downs of fine firmclay, and it was pleasant to see a great river thus supplied by thewaters collected only amongst the swelling undulations and valleys of thecountry through which it passed, like the rivers of Europe. The river wehad discovered, seemed, in this respect, essentially different fromothers in Australia, which usually arise in mountains, and appear to berather designed to convey water into regions where it is wanting, than tocarry off any surplus from the surfaces over which they run.

1ST OCTOBER.--Our track back across the downs, brought again into viewthe Northern range, and I now named the prominent mountain at itssalient, Mount Northampton, in honour of the noble marquis at the head ofthe Royal Society. The range to the southward also appeared above thetrees of the valley, and I gave the name of Mount Inniskillen to thesalient mountain, which appeared so remarkable a feature to us on firstadvancing into that region, from the eastward. We again reached the riverthis day, after traversing the wide plains. Its woods still resoundedwith the plaintive cooing of a dove, which I had not seen elsewhere. At adistance, the sound resembled the distant cooy of female natives, and weat first took it for their voices until we ascertained whence these notescame. I had arrived at a fine reach of the river, and while watering thehorses, preparatory to leaving its banks, (to make a short cut on ourformer route,) when a pair of these birds appeared on a bough over head,so near that I could take a drawing, by which I have since ascertainedthe bird to have been GEOPELIA CUNEATA.

But the river we were about to leave required a name, for no nativescould be made to understand our questions, even had they been morewilling than they were to communicate at all. It seemed to me, to deservea great name, being of much importance, as leading from temperate intotropical regions, where water was the essential requisite,--a riverleading to India; the "nacimiento de la especeria," or REGION WHERESPICES GREW: the grand goal, in short, of explorers by sea and land, fromColumbus downwards. This river seemed to me typical of God's providence,in conveying living waters into a dry parched land, and thus affordingaccess to open and extensive pastoral regions, likely to be soon peopledby civilised inhabitants. It was with sentiments of devotion, zeal, andloyalty, that I therefore gave to this river the name of my gracioussovereign, Queen Victoria. There seemed to be much novelty in the plantsalong its banks. The shells of the fresh-water mussle (UNIO), which layabout the old fires of the natives, exceeded in size any we had seenelsewhere. I measured one, and found it six inches long, and three and ahalf broad. On the plains near this spot, grew a beautiful little ACACIA,resembling A. PENDULA, but a distinct species, according to Mr.Bentham.[*] We crossed the open downs and our former route, hastening tomake the tributary river before night. We reached the channel by sunset;the moon was nearly full, and we continued to search in the bed forwater, until we again fell in with our former track, near the place wherewe had watered our horses on the morning of the 17th September. Onhastening to the pond, we found the intense heat of the last twelve dayshad dried it up, and we were obliged to encamp without water; a mostunpleasant privation after a ride of thirty miles, under an almostvertical sun. The river must receive a great addition below this branchfrom the Northampton ranges, entering probably about that great bend wehad this day cut off; leaving the deep reaches formerly seen there, onour left, or to the northward. An uncommon drought had not only dried upthe waters of this river, but killed much of the brigalow scrub soeffectually, that the dead trunks alone remained on vast tracts, thusbecoming open downs.

2D OCTOBER.--At 6 A.M. the thermometer gave a temperature of 59 deg.. Theheight above the sea was 1081 feet. In tracing back our old track, I sentCorporal Graham to examine a part of the river channel likely to containwater, and the report of his pistol some time after in the woods,welcomer than sweetest music to our ears just then, guided us to thespot, where he had found a small pond containing enough for all ourwants. For the men, having no more tea or sugar, a good drink was allthat was required; the poor fellows prepared my tea not the lessassiduously, although I could have had but little comfort in drinking itunder such circumstances, without endeavouring to share what was almostindivisible. We this day performed a long journey, reaching our formerbivouac, of the 16th September, on Graham's creek, at an early hour.Three emus were seen feeding close by; but, although several attemptswere made to get near them, with a horse stalking, we could not kill anyof them.

3D OCTOBER.--Soon after we had quitted our bivouac, the emus were againseen on the plains. I could not deny the men the opportunity thusafforded them of obtaining some food; for, although they concealed theirhunger from me, I knew they were living on bread and water. Grahamsucceeded in wounding one of the birds, which, nevertheless, escaped. Hethen chased a female followed by about a dozen young ones, towards us,when we caught three. It had occurred to me this morning, to mark andnumber the bivouacs we had occupied thus far, for the purpose of futurereference, when any other party might proceed, or be sent again, intothis country. I had, therefore, cut the number 73 on a tree at thisbivouac of 3d October, under the initials N.S.W. We pursued a straightcourse over the downs, east by compass, until we joined our old routealong the water-course, from our camp near the gap, and this brought usback, at an early hour to that spot, where I marked a tree with thefigures 72.

4TH OCTOBER.--We recrossed the brigalow range, (where the temperature, at9 A.M., was 79 deg.,) and alighted by the pond at the junction of the Nivelleand Nive; near where we had passed the night of the 12th September. Thisday we again saw the CALLITRIS; a tree so characteristic of sandy soils,but of which we had not observed a single specimen in the extensivecountry beyond. Marked 71 on a tree.

5TH OCTOBER.--Soon after we left our bivouac, I saw in the grass beforeme, a large snake. This was rather a novelty to us, being almost thefirst we had seen in these northern regions of Australia. I dismounted,and went forward to strike it with a piece of wood. Yuranigh did thesame, both missed it, when it unexpectedly turned upon us, took aposition on higher ground beside a large tree, then descended with headerect, moving nimbly towards the horses, and the rest of the party. Thedeadly reptile glided straight to the forefeet of my horse, touched thefetlock with his head, but did not bite; then passed to the hind legs anddid the same, fortunately the horse stood quietly. The snake dartedthence towards one of the men, who was about to throw a stick at him, andwas next in the act of pursuing Yuranigh, when Graham gave him a chargeof small shot, which crippled his movements until he could be despatched.This snake was of a brown colour, red spotted on the belly, about sixfeet long, and five inches in circumference. I had never before known anyAustralian snake to attack a party, but we had certainly brought theattack on ourselves. We made a good cut on our former circuitous routewhen tracing down the river Nive, and arrived at our former bivouac at anearly hour. This was fortunate, as all the ponds, formerly full of goodwater, had, in the interim, dried up; and I proceeded to cross thescrubby range, by pursuing a straight direction towards Mount Pluto. Butsome magnetic influence so deranged my compass, that, on reaching thecrest of the range, I found that mountain bore nearly east instead of N.E. N. I saw three of my fixed points, however, by which, with my pocketsextant, I could ascertain our true position, which proved to be verywide of my intended course. It was, like many other accidentalfrustrations of my plans in this journey, an aberration that did us good,for we had thereby avoided the bad scrub formerly passed through, andalso a rocky part of the range. We next descended into a valley in which,after following down a dry watercourse two miles, we found a fine pond ofwater, exactly as the sun was setting. This day I had shot a curiousbird, somewhat resembling a small turkey, in a tree. The feathers wereblack; the head was bare and red. This fowl was apparently of thegalinaceous tribe. The flesh was delicious, and afforded a most timelydinner to the party. A numerous body of natives had followed our formertrack across the rocky ranges we traversed this day, as appeared by theirfoot-marks, and Yuranigh also discovered, in the same manner, that threenatives had this morning preceded us on our return; nevertheless we sawnone of these denizens of the woods.

6TH OCTOBER.--Thermometer, at 6 A. M., 48 deg.. Height above the sea, 696feet. This day we hoped to rejoin the party at the camp of the Pyramids;but the journey was long, and it included an ascent of Mount Pluto, fromwhich I had still to observe some important angles. I marked thisbivouac, with 70 cut on a tree, the two last being, respectively marked,71 and 72, as already stated; these numbers continuing the series fromLXIX, my lowest camp on the Belyando.

The scrub is thick about these volcanic ranges, but on the downs andplains of Central Australia, that impediment disappears. My men andmyself were in rags from passing through these scrubs, and we rejoiced atthe prospect of rejoining, this day, our countrymen at the Pyramids. Ifound a fine open forest between the ponds where we had formerly passedthe night, and Mount Pluto; and we crossed several water-courses, thegrass on their banks being green and young, because the old grass hadbeen burnt off by the natives. These water-courses form the highestsources of the Salvator. We were at no very considerable elevation abovethe sea where we had slept (696 feet), yet we found the air on themountains much cooler than that of the interior plains. There was muchCallitris in the woods passed through this day; and the soil, althoughwell covered with grass, was sandy. I ascended Mount Pluto by the N. W.side, where the loose fragments of trap, on a very steep slope, obstructthe growth of a thorny scrub, covering other parts of the mountain sides.The view from the summit was very favourable for my purpose, and I passedan hour and a half in taking angles on all distant points. Mount Owen andMount Kilsyth were both visible; Buckland's Table-land in the East, andsome of the recently discovered ranges in the west, were just visibleacross the trap-rock range, which connected Mount Playfair with MountHutton; which range almost shut out the view to the westward. In the S.W., some very remarkable features appeared to terminate westward, inabrupt cliffs over a low country, into which the Maran (as far as known),the Warrego, and the Nive, seem to carry their waters. What that countryis, was a most interesting point, which I was very reluctant to leavestill a mystery. No volcanic hills appeared to the westward of this trio,which thus seem to mark the place where the upheaving forces have mostaffected the interior structure of Australia. The temperature on MountPluto, at noon, was 90 deg.; and the elevation above the sea, 2420 feet.

On descending to where I had left the horses, we mounted, and struck intothe old outward track; but we had difficulty in following it, although itwas not above a month old. We saw many kangaroos to the eastward of MountPluto, but could not get a shot at any. I had seen much smoke in thedirection of our camp, and was anxious about the safety of the party leftthere. We reached it before sunset, and were received with loud cheers.All were well, the natives had not come near, the cattle were in highcondition. Mr. Stephenson had a fine collection of insects, and somecurious plants. My man Brown had contrived to eke out the provisions soas to have enough to take us back to Mr. Kennedy. The grass looked greenand luxuriant about the camp, and the spot proved a most refreshing homeboth to us and to our jaded horses, on whose backs we had almostconstantly been for nearly a month. The party had collected specimens ofXEROTES LEUCOCEPHALA; BOSSIOEA CARINALIS; the purple INDIGOFERAAUSTRALIS; XEROTES MULTIFLORA; the DODONOEA HIRTELLA of Miquel, a hairyshrub with pinnated leaves; EVOLVULUS LINIFOLIUS; GOODENIA PULCHELLABenth.; HIBBERTIA CANESCENS; these had been found on the rocky groundnear the camp, some on the sides, and even near the summits of thepyramids. On the sandy flats at the foot of these hills, were gathered,AJUGA AUSTRALIS; DAMPIERA ADPRESSA, a gay, though, almost leafless herb,with blue flowers nestling in grey wool; three miles below the camp aspecies of VIGNA, closely allied to V. CAPENSIS Walp., was found; andamong the larger forest trees was a Eucalyptus, allied to, but probablydistinct from, the E. SIDEROXYLON A. Cunn.

The LABICHEA DIGITATA was now in fruit; the JACKSONIA SCOPARIA formed ashrub, ten or twelve feet high, occupying sandy places, and having muchresemblance to the common broom of Europe. The ACACIA CUNNINGHAMII grewabout the same height; the GREVILLEA LONGISTYLA was seen on thesandstone, forming a shrub seven or eight feet high; and there also grewthe pretty ZIERIA FRAZERI[*]; the DODONOEA MOLLIS was a small shrub sixfeet high, whereof the fruit was now ripe; the LEUCOPOGON CUSPIDATUS,also small. A PIMELEA near P. LINIFOLIA formed a shrub, only two feethigh, growing on the rocks; the HOVEA LANCEOLATA, grew ten feet high insimilar situations; the LEPTOSPERMUM SERICATUM was still abundant on thesandstone rocks, and amongst these also grew the POMAX HIRTA, a plant sixinches high.

At the base of these mountains, a slight variety of ACACIA VISCIDULAformed a bush twelve feet high; a variety of BORONIA BIPINNATA formed asmall upright shrub, with flowers larger than usual; and much finerspecimens were now also found, of the white and red flowered BORONIAERIANTHA; the DODONOEA PEDUNCULARIS was loaded with its fruit; theSCHIDIOMYRTUS TENELLUS, or a new species nearly allied to it, formed ashrub six feet high. A variety of AOTUS MOLLIS, with rather less downyleaves and rather smaller calyxes; the ACACIA LONGISPICATA, with itssilvery leaves and long spikes of yellow blossoms, acquired a stature oftwelve feet, at the foot of the rocks; and small specimens of thebeautiful LINSCHOTENIA DISCOLOR, which we had also observed, in a finerstate, near Mount Pluto. The LABICHEA DIGITATA was abundant in shelteredravines amongst the rocks; and, also, the DODONOEA ACEROSA, loaded withits four-winged reddish fruit, formed a shrub there four feet high. Onthe flats at the base of these ranges, grew the stiff, hard leaved,glutinous TRIODIA PUNGENS, with fine erect panicles of purple and greenflowers (the first occasion this, on which I had seen this plant inflower). The BRUNONIA SERICEA continued to appear; also a minute speciesof ALTERNANTHERA. The DIANELLA STRUMOSA formed a coarse, sedgy herbage,relieved by its large panicles of blue flowers; and a fine species ofDogbane near TABERNOEMONTANA, and probably not distinct from that genus,according to Sir William Hooker. A shrub, five feet high, which proved tobe a new species of ACACIA, also grew at the foot of the precipices[*]; anew and very distinct species of LOGANIA[**]; a new RUTIDOSIS, a tallherbaceous perennial[***]; a fine, new, long leaved GREVILLEA, withyellow flowers.[****] A woolly-leaved KERAUDRENIA, with inconspicuousflowers[*****]; and, in the open forest, a pretty species of Comesperm,about five feet high, with rosy flowers, and smooth or downy stems; itwas allied to C. RETUSA.[******]

[*** R. ARACHNOIDEA (Hook. MS.); elata, arachnoideo-tomentosa, foliisremotis lanceolatis acuminatis calloso-cuspidatis, panicula laxa, ramislongis polycephalis, capitulis aggregatis, involucris ovatis.--A widelydistinct species from the only hitherto described species of this genus(R. HELICHRYSOIDES), both in the leaves and flower-heads.]

[***** K. ? INTEGRIFOLIA (Hook. MS.); foliis oblongo-lanceolatisapiculatis subtus pannoso-tomentosis marginibus costa nervisqueglandulosis.--In this the styles are connected at the apex, free below.The capsule is deeply 5-lobed. The anthers are remarkably curvedoutwards, like a horse-shoe, which is not the case in true KERAUDRENIA.W. I. H.]

On the rocky slopes, or crests, were found, also, various new plantswhich have been since described, viz. A small shrub, with leaves fromthree to four inches long, found to be a new species of CONOSPERMUM[*]; asmall shrubby species of LABICHEA[**]; an inconspicuous shrub, two feethigh, was a new species of MICRANTHEUM, allied to M. ERICOIDES,Desf.[***]; a downy DODONOEA, very near D. PEDUNCULARIS, but with thinnertruncated leaves, and more glutinous fruit[****]; and, on the edge of themountain, grew a curious new Acacia, resembling a pine tree[*****], butwith the stature of a shrub, and a GREVILLEA, forming a shrub seven oreight feet high.[*]

SINGULAR FOSSILS NEAR THE CAMP.--INTERESTING PLANTS DISCOVERED.--ASCENTOF MOUNT FARADAY.--RETURN TO THE WARREGO.--A NATIVE OLD MAN.--PASS BYMOUNT OWEN.--THE MARANOA.--RECROSS THE MINOR STREAMS.--ITS TRIBUTARIES.--NONDESCRIPT ANIMAL.--POSSESSION CREEK.--A HORSE KILLED BY ACCIDENT.--APPROACH THE CAMP OF MR. KENNEDY.--FIND ALL WELL THERE.--MANY PLANTSFOUND THERE.--HIS ACCOUNT OF THE NATIVES' VISITS.--RIDE TO MOUNTSOWERBY.--FOSSILS FOUND THERE.----THE WHOLE PARTY FINALLY QUITS THE DEPOTCAMP.--TRACE THE MARANOA DOWNWARDS.--OPEN DOWNS ON ITS BANKS.--WATERSCARCE.--REQUISITE PONDS.--REACH ITS JUNCTION WITH THE BALONNE.--TRACESOF HORSEMEN ALONG OUR OLD TRACK.--THE PARTY ARRIVES, AND HALTS, AT ST.GEORGE'S BRIDGE.--MR. KENNEDY SENT TO RECONNOITRE THE COUNTRY IN A DIRECTLINE TOWARDS MOUNT RIDDELL.

7TH AND 8TH OCTOBER.--THESE two days were devoted to the completion of mymaps of the late tour, and of drawings of two of the birds seen on theVictoria. Our horses required a day or two's rest, and I had enough to doin my tent, although the heat was intense.

9TH OCTOBER.--Once more I rode into the lower country a few miles, totake a sketch of another remarkable hill. In the afternoon I examined thesandstone caverns in the hill opposite to our camp; some very curiousorganic remains having been found there by one of the party during myabsence. I found that these occurred on the lower side of sandstonestrata, and that they had become denuded by the decomposition ofsandstone underneath. We were to leave this camp next morning. The menwere on very reduced rations, and I was apprehensive that we might bedisappointed in our search for water in many places where we had beforeencamped and found it. In the afternoon, the sky became suddenlyovercast, distant thunder was heard; and the southern portion of theheavens, over the country to which we were about to return, was evidentlydischarging some heavy rain there. At twilight, the rain commenced tofall heavily at our camp, and continued to do so during four hours. Sucha supply came most opportunely for us, and, although I could not be sovain as to suppose that the thunder rolled only for our benefit alone, Ifelt as thankful as though it had. This day I saw on the cavernous hillthe woolly ACTINOTUS HELIANTHI, one of the most singular of umbelliferousplants; and, on descending to the base, a white variety of the COMESPERMASYLVESTRIS, with smooth branches: unlike the kind observed in September,it did not grow above one foot high. A small shrub grew on the rocks, apretty little Calytrix, near C. MICROPHYLLA A Cunn. (from Port Essingtonand Melville Island); but the branches, with their leaves, are morestout, and the bracts more obtuse. Sir W. Hooker supposes it to be a newspecies. We here found this day a woolly-leaved plant, with longbranching panicles of brilliantly blue flowers, which Professor de Vriesehas ascertained to be a new genus of the natural order of Goodeniads, andwhich he calls LINSCHOTENIA DISCOLOR.[*] Thermometer, meter, at sunrise,60 deg.; at noon, 94 deg.; at 4 P. M., 76 deg.; at 9, 64 deg.;--with wet bulb, 64 deg..

10TH OCTOBER.--We commenced our retreat with cattle and horses in finecondition, and with water in every crevice of the rocks. That in thereedy swamp near the pyramids, had a sulphureous taste, and nausea andweak-stomach were complained of by some of the men. I certainly did notthink the swamp a very desirable neighbour, with the thermometersometimes above 100 deg., and therefore I was more desirous to retire fromit. As the party returned along their former track, I went to the summitof Mount Faraday, and observed a number of useful angles for my map. Mr.Stephenson was with me, and found some new plants and insects, while Iascertained the height, by the barometer, to be 2523 feet above the sea.The plants growing there were COMMELINA UNDULATA, THYSANOTUS ELATIOR,PLECTRANTHUS PARVIFLORUS, the yellow VIGNA LANCEOLATA, with a villousform of AJUGA AUSTRALIS, and a little PILOTHECA, with narrow,closepressed leaves.[*] The mountain is volcanic, the broken side of thecrater being towards the N.W. Some compact basalt appeared near thesummit. On reaching the Warrego in the evening, we found the party hadarrived there at 3 P. M., the distance travelled comprising two formerdays' journeys. They had also found water close to the camp, where nonehad been when they had been there before. Many beautiful shrubs were nowbeginning to bloom. The BURSARIA INCANA was now covered with its paniclesof white flowers; the OZOTHAMNUS DIOSMOEFOLIUS, a shrub four feet high,was loaded with small bulbs of snow white flowers; a downy variety ofLOTUS AUSTRALIS, with pink flowers[*], was common on the open ground; theACACIA PODALYRIOEFOLIA was now forming its fruit; in the open forest wefound a beautiful little GOMPHOLOBIUM[***]; the HAKEA PURPUREA, a spiny-leaved, hard shrub, with numerous crimson leaves[****], and the EUPHORBIAEREMOPHILA, an inconspicuous species of SPURGE.[*****] Mr. Stephenson andI had been so busy collecting these on our way back, that we only reachedthe camp at sunset. Thermometer, at sunrise, 58 deg.; at noon, 75 deg.; at 4 P.M., 82; at 9, 62 deg.;--with wet bulb, 59 deg..

[* P. CILIATA (Hook. MS.); ramulis pilosis, foliis erectis subimbricatislinearibus obtusis ciliatis dorso convexis glandulosis superne planisnudis, petalis ovali-ellipticis obtusis marginibus extusalbopubescentibus.--Allied to P. AUSTRALIS, but different in the leaves,which are here ciliated at the margin, very glandulous on the back; andin the flowers, which are smaller, the petals more obtuse, and having abroad, white line of pubescence round the margin at the back.]

11TH OCTOBER.--Following the chord of the arc described by our journeysof 30th June, and 1st July, on tracing down the Warrego, I made thefurthest of the two camps, by a straight line of nine miles, passingthrough a fine open forest country. The pond, which formerly supplied ushere, was now quite dry, but one much larger in a rocky bed was found afew hundred yards further up the river. Thermometer, at sunrise, 54 deg.; atnoon, 80 deg.; at 4 P. M. 88 deg.; at 9, 57 deg.;--with wet bulb, 52 deg..

12TH OCTOBER.--This day we also turned two former days' journeys intoone, and arrived at Camp XXXVIII. by 2 P. M., the ponds at theintermediate camp (XXXIX.) being dry. Nevertheless, the recent rains hadleft some water in rocky hollows, at which we could water our horses onthe way. By the river side this morning, we found a variety of theHELIPTERUM ANTHEMOIDES, D.C., with the leaves pubescent and the scales ofthe involucre paler. The silky grass, IMPERATA ARUNDINACEA, occurred inthe swampy flat we crossed before we encamped. Soon after we set out inthe morning, an old man was seen coming along the valley towards us,without at first seeing the party. When he did, which was not until hehad come very near, he uttered a sort of scream, "OOEY!", and ran upamongst some rocks beyond the water-course, nor would he stop, whenrepeatedly called to by Yuranigh. He carried a firestick, a small bag onhis back, and some bomarengs under his left arm. His hair was grey butvery bushy, and he looked fat. The poor fellow was dreadfully frightened,which I much regretted, for I might otherwise have obtained from him someinformation about the ultimate course of the Warrego, etc. We found waterin one of the rocky ponds near our former encampment, but others in whichsome had formerly been found, were dry, and I was not without some doubtabout finding water, on our way back to join Mr. Kennedy. Thermometer, atsunrise, 42 deg.; at noon, 87 deg.; at 4 P. M., 96 deg.; at 9, 78 deg.;--with wet bulb,60 deg..

13TH OCTOBER.--The night was uncommonly hot, thermometer 79 deg. here, wherein June last it had been as low as 7 deg.. The sky had been clouded, but themorning cleared up, and we enjoyed a cool breeze in passing amongst thesandstone gullies. On arriving at the foot of Mount Owen the day becamevery sultry, and there was a haziness in the air. On Mount Owen Mr.Stephenson found a new species of VIGNA with yellow flowers[*], and theSWAINSONIA PHACOIDES, conspicuous with its pink flowers. We took up ourold ground over the gullies, and I went in quest of water. The pondsformerly here, had dried up, but Yuranigh found a deep one in the solidrock, containing enough for months. It was inaccessible to horses, butwith a bucket we watered both these and the bullocks. The mercurialcolumn was low, the sky became overcast, and a slight shower raised ourhopes that at length rain might fall in sufficient quantity to relieve usfrom the difficulty about water, in returning towards Mr. Kennedy's camp.Thermometer, at sunrise, 63 deg.; at noon, 79 deg.; at 4 P. M., 76 deg.; at 9, 64 deg.;--with wet bulb, 59 deg..

14TH OCTOBER.--During the night several smart showers fell, and atdaybreak the sky seemed set for rain. When we set off it rained ratherheavily. I took a new direction, and got into a gully which led to ourformer track of 17th June. Crossing it, I passed into the bed of theMaranoa, and followed it down with the carts, until we arrived at thelarge pond in solid rock, to which I had sent the bullocks on the 18thJune. Here we encamped, and I marked a tree with the number 74, as itmight be necessary on future occasions to refer to where a permanentsupply of water may be found in that part of the country. Thermometer, atsunrise, 60 deg.; at noon, 71 deg.; at 4 P. M., 66 deg.; at 9, 52 deg.;--with wet bulb,48 deg..

15TH OCTOBER.--Last evening the wind blew keenly, and the night was cold,the temperature very different from that experienced of late. The morningpresented a thick haze and drizzling rain, this kind of weather beingrather favourable for crossing the loose sandy surface, which the mendreaded, remembering how it had before affected their eyes. I at firstendeavoured to travel this day along the river bank, but I found itscourse so tortuous, and the country on its banks so hilly and rocky, thatI left it, and proceeded in a direction that would intersect the formertrack. We thus passed through a fine open forest, fell in with our oldtrack at a convenient point, and found water still in the pond at thecamp of 15th June, where we therefore again set up our tents. The sky hadcleared up, and the air was pleasantly cool, with a fine breeze blowingfrom S.E. On the river bank, we observed this day the native bramble, orAustralian form of RUBUS PARVIFOLIUS, L. A small nondescript animal ranbefore Mr. Stephenson and myself this morning. It started from a littlebush at the foot of a tree, had large ears, a short black tail, ran likea hare, and left a similar track. It was about the size of a smallrabbit. The death of our dogs on the Bogan, under the intense heat anddrought, had been a very serious loss to us, as we found on manyoccasions like this; and where kangaroos, of apparently rare species,escaped from us from our having no dogs. We were, also, from want of suchdogs, much more exposed to attacks of the natives. Evening again cloudy.Thermometer, at sunrise, 45 deg.; at noon, 64 deg.; at 4 P.M., 67 deg.; at 9, 57 deg.;--with wet bulb, 50 deg..

16TH OCTOBER.--A clear cool morning, with a fine refreshing breeze fromeast, succeeded the cloudy weather of yesterday. I crossed the littleriver, and travelled straight towards Camp XXXVII. On the higher groundgrew a heath-like bush, (ERIOSTEMON RHOMBEUM,) three or four feet high.At a distance of only nine miles, we came upon the little river besidethat camp, and fell into the old track a mile on beyond it; and, early inthe day, we arrived at a chain of ponds, half-way to the next camp atPossession Creek. The ponds where I went to encamp were dry; but, onfollowing the water-course downwards, I came to its junction with theMaranoa, at half a mile from the camp, and found a large basin of waterat that point. Here, the NOTELOEA PUNCTATA was no longer a low trailingbush, but a shrub ten or twelve feet high, with the appearance of aEuropean PHILLYREA. On the wet ground at the river bank, grew an entire-leaved variety (?) of PLANTAGO VARIA. The wild carrot, DAUCUS BRACHIATUS,with an annual wiry root, was also seen in the rich ground near theriver. Yuranigh found more of the native tobacco, which the men eagerlyasked for some of. This was a variety of the southern NICOTIANASUAVEOLENS, with white flowers, and smoother leaves. Thermometer, atsunrise, 37 deg.; at noon, 70 deg.; at 4 P.M., 76 deg.; at 9, 51 deg.;--with wet bulb,42 deg.. Height above the sea, 1315 feet. (Camp 75.)

17TH OCTOBER.--The thermometer stood as low as the freezing point thismorning, and the day was cooled by a wind from the N. E. In crossingPossession Creck, we saw nothing of the formerly belligerent natives.From Camp XXXIII, I took a direct course to Camp XXXII, where we arrivedearly. No water remaining in the adjacent ponds, I followed the drychannel down to its junction, and found the Maranoa full of water; thispoint being three quarters of a mile from our camp. We had this daypassed over a fine open forest country, in which were also groves of theACACIA PENDULA. The vegetation, in general, seemed drooping, from thewant of rain; but the whole was available for grazing purposes. We saw,this day, plants of PYCNOSORUS GLOBOSUS, in the dry forest land; and thepurple-flowered RUELLIA AUSTRALIS. The ACACIA SPECTABILIS formed aspreading bush, about eight feet high. The HOVEA LEIOCARPA, andCONVOLVULUS ERUBESCENS, were also found; with a new MYRIOGYNE[*], and asmall shrub, three feet high, with narrow, blunt, glaueous leaves,tasting like rum. A small fruit, with the fragrance of an orange, provedto be a new species of TRIPHASIA.[**]

It is much to be regretted, that the specimens gathered here of thebrigalow, should have been so imperfect that they could not be described.If an Acacia, Mr. Bentham says, it is different from any he knows.

The vicinity of the river here affords security for a supply of water, inseasons like the present, when any contained in the smaller channels maybe dried up. In the afternoon we lost a horse, which fell from aprecipitous part of the bank, at the junction of the creek with theriver. One man was leading four, when one horse kicked another, which,falling perpendicularly, from a height of about forty feet, was so muchhurt as to be unable to rise. The folly, or rather obstinacy of the man,leading so many together, on the verge of a precipice, was contrary toparticular orders previously given, and which ought to have been enforcedby Graham, who was in charge. Thermometer, at sunrise, 32 deg.; at noon, 78 deg.;at 4 P.M., 79 deg.; at 9, 60 deg.;--with wet bulb, 45 deg..

18TH OCTOBER.--The horse, still unable to get on his legs, and apparentlydying, was shot, and buried in the sand of the bed of the creek. Thisloss, when we were so near our depot camp, was much to be regretted, aswe should have otherwise taken back every bullock and horse, after anabsence, from that camp, of four months and fifteen days. We saw not asingle native about the woods or the river, and were, therefore, the moreanxious to know how Mr. Kennedy and the natives had agreed at the depotcamp, now within a day's ride of us. We continued to follow our formertrack to Camp XXXI, and it may be remarked, to their credit, that theaborigines had not attempted to deface any of these marked trees. Itmight have occurred, even to them, that such marks were preparatory tothe advent of more white men into their country. The fine, deep reachesin the river, looked still full and unfailing; and a short journey to-morrow would take us to the camp of the rest of the party. We this dayfound a little jasmine in flower, of which Mr. Stephenson had formerlycollected the seeds. It was white, not more than a foot high, withsolitary white flowers, emitting a delightful fragrance, and it grew inthe light sandy forest land.[*] A tree loaded with pods, which thenatives eat, has been determined by Sir William Hooker to be theBRACHYCHITON POPULNEUM, Br., or STERCULIA HETEROPHYLLA of Cunn. Here waspicked up a singular little annual plant, belonging to the genus PIMELEA,with hairy, loose spikes of minute green flowers[**]; and by the river wefound the CALANDRINIA BALONENSIS.

The morrow was looked forward to with impatience. Four months and a halfhad the main body of the party been stationary; and that was a long timeto look back upon, with the expectation that it had remained undisturbed,although isolated in a country still claimed and possessed by savages.Thermometer, at sunrise, 38 deg.; at noon, 83 deg.; at 4 P.M., 86 deg.; at 9, 64 deg.;--with wet bulb, 48 deg..

19TH OCTOBER.--The party was early in motion along the old track. Leavingthe intermediate camp to the left, we struck across the country so as tohit the track again within a few miles of the depot camp. Old tracks ofcattle, when the earth had been soft, and the print of A SHOE, were thefirst traces of the white man's existence we met with; nor did we see anything more conclusive, until the tents on the cliffs overhanging theriver were visible through the trees. We saw men, also, and evenrecognised some of them, before our party was observed; nor did they seeus advancing, with a flag on the cart, until Brown sounded the bugle.Immediately all were in motion, Mr. Kennedy coming forward to the cliffs,while the whole party received us with cheers, to which my men heartilyresponded. Mr. Kennedy ran down the cliffs to meet me, and was the firstto give me the gratifying intelligence that the whole party were well;that the cattle and sheep were safe and fat; and, that the aborigines hadnever molested them. A good stock-yard had been set up; a storehouse hadalso been built; a garden had been fenced in, and contained lettuce,radishes, melons, cucumbers. Indeed, the whole establishment evinced thegood effects of order and discipline. Drysdale, the storekeeper, hadcollected many birds and plants, and had also been careful of the stores.The orphan from the Bogan, little Dicky, had grown very much, and seemeda very intelligent boy; and the little intercourse Mr. Kennedy had hadwith the aborigines, limited as it was, by my instructions to him, wascuriously characteristic of the tact and originality of this singularrace. On one occasion, when on being informed that natives were near, hehad hastened to meet them, taking little Dicky with him, he foundremaining only a female and her mother, a remarkably old woman, who hadbefore concealed herself among the reeds. The daughter on his approachsung a beautiful song, rapidly running through the whole gammut. Thenbowing her head, she presented the back of it to him, and placing herstone-tomahawk in his hand, she bade him strike. Mr. Kennedy threw thetomahawk on the ground; and seeing the grey head amongst the reeds, heprevailed on the mother to come out. She was hideous in person, which wasmuch more AFFREUX from the excessive rage with which she seemed todenounce the white men;--her fiend-like eyes flashing fire, as ifprophetic of the advent of another race, and the certain failure of herown.

The daughter seemed, at first, to treat lightly the ire of her agedparent, playfully patting with her finger her mother's fearfullyprotruding lip. Mr. Kennedy endeavoured to ascertain, through Dicky, thedownward course of the river, and she seemed to express, and to pointalso, that the river passed southerly into the Balonne, which river shenamed, and even the Culgoa: she seemed to say the name of that localitywas "Mundi." Neither of these females had any covering, but the youngerwore, by way of ornament, a page of last year's Nautical Almanac,suspended by a cord from her neck. The mother continuing implacable, thedaughter, with a graceful expression of respect for her, and courtesy tothe stranger, waved her arm for him to retire, which gesture Mr. Kennedyand Dicky immediately obeyed. At another interview, a scheme to decoyDicky away was tried, as related thus in Mr. Kennedy's journal:--"Sunday,26th July. Prayers were read at 11 A.M., after which, having been told byDrysdale that the natives were still near the camp, and that there was anative amongst them who could make himself more intelligible to Dickythan the rest, I had started down the river to see them to collect whatinformation I could, and then induce them to go farther from the camp. Ihad not gone far before the cooys from the tents made me aware that thenatives were by this time in sight. I therefore returned, and the firstobject that caught my eye was the bait--a gin, dancing before someadmiring spectators; and behind her was a fine, lusty native advancing bygreat strides, as he considered the graceful movements of his gin weregaining as fast upon the hearts of the white men. On going up to himDicky put the usual questions as to the name of the river, and itsgeneral course. His reply to the first was not very satisfactory, but ourimpression was that he called it Balun. With respect to its course, heplainly said that it joined the Balonne; repeatedly pointing in thedirection of that river and then following with his hand, the variouswindings of this branch; repeating the while some word implying 'walk,walk,' and ending with 'Balonne.' He knew the names of the mountainsBindango and Bindyego. After this conversation he took some fat, which heappeared to have brought for the purpose, and anointed Dicky by chewingit, and then spitting upon his head and face. He next whispered to him,and (as Dicky says) invited him to join them. I then motioned to the men,who were looking on at a short distance, to go to the camp; and as theyobeyed, I made the same signs to the native to move in the oppositedirection, which he at length did with evident reluctance anddisappointment, throwing away his green bough, and continually lookingback as he retired. I desired Dicky to tell him never to come near ourtents, and that no white man should go to his camp."

It seems that one family only inhabits these parts, as only three huts atmost were to be seen in any part of the country, either up or down theriver; a very fortunate circumstance for our party, obliged to remain solong at one spot, after such a formal notice had been given to quit it,as our visitors of the 30th of May gave during my absence. Mr. Drysdale,the store-keeper, had collected an herbarium during the long sojourn ofthe party at that camp, which included many new plants. In August, plantshad begun to blossom; and in September various novelties had been foundin flower. In August, he gathered EURYBIA SUBSPICATA, Hook. EURYBIOPSISMACRORHIZA; or a species allied to it. ACACIA DECORA; GOODENIACORONOPIFOLIA R. Br.; CONVOLVULUS ERUBESCENS; a hairy variety of BORONIABIPINNATA, with smaller flowers than usual, and most of the leaves simplypinnate. A cruciferous plant, probably new; two new species of EURYBIAand CALOTIS, SENECIO CARNOSULUS? D. C. An ASPERULA? with the habit ofGalium. MYOPORUM DULCE; VERONICA PLEBEIA; an acerose LEUCOPOGON; aspecies of violet, with small, densely-spiked flowers (was covered withwild bees in search of its honey). A species of BRUNONIA, apparently thesame as the B. SIMPLEX of the north bank of the Darling, but taller andless hairy. A NYSSANTHES, apparently undescribed; SWAINSONACORONILLOEFOLIA; a small variety of SALSOLA AUSTRALIS; XEROTESDECOMPOSITA, a hard-leaved, sedgy plant; a fine LEUCOPOGON, withunilateral flowers; and another species with yellowish blossoms, bothperhaps new. A pretty little grass belonging to the genus PAPPOPHORUM,with a blackish green colour.[*] A magnificent new ACACIA, with leavesnearly a foot long.[**] A minute annual CALANDRINIA.[***] An ERODIUM,closely resembling the European E. LITTOREUM, Arn. and Benth., from Isleof St. Lucie; it was also found by A. Cunningham in the swamps of theLachlan. A new PROSTANTHERA, with indented glandular viscid leaves.[****]A beautiful ever-lasting plant belonging to the genus HELIPTERES.[*****]A new LEPTOCYAMUS, with slender, trailing, hairy stems.[******] SIDAVIRGATA (Hook. MS.)[*******] SIDA FILIFORMIS (A. Cunn.).[********] A newDODONOEA in the way of the D. CUNEATA of the colony, with long, slenderflower stalks.[*********]

[**** P. EUPHRASIOIDES (Benth. MS.) tota viscoso-villosa, foliislinearioblongis pinnatifido-dentatis ad axillas subfasciculatis, floribuspaucisaxillaribus breviter pedicellatis, calycis labiis integris,antherarum calcare longiore loculum superante.--The foliage and flowerslook at first sight very much like those of some of the AUSTRALIANEUPHRASIOE. The leaves are about three lines long.]

20TH OCTOBER.--It was necessary to halt here a day or two, that theblacksmith might have time to repair the light carts, and shoe thehorses. I took a ride this day with Mr. Kennedy to a hill some mileseastward of the camp, in which he had found some remarkable fossils. Thehill consisted of a red ferruguinous sandstone, in parts of which wereimbedded univalve and bivalve shells, pieces of water-worn or burnt wood,and what seemed fragments of bone. To some of the portions of wood, youngshells adhered, but others bore, evidently, marks of fire; showing theblack scarified parts, and those left untouched or unscarified, veryplainly. Other portions of woods had their ends waterworn, and were fullof long cracks, such as appear in wood long exposed to the sun. Thesespecimens were, in general, silicified: but the outer parts came off insoft flakes resembling rotten bark, being equally pliant, although theyfelt gritty, like sand, between the teeth. This hill was rather isolated,but portions of tabular masses, forming the range of St. George's Pass,and in contact with the volcanic hill of Mount Kennedy which forms anucleus to these cliffy ranges, being about 9 miles N. E. of this hill,to which, from its contents, I gave the name of Mount Sowerby. Theweeping GEIJERA PENDULA again occurred in abundance near Mount Sowerby;the CAPPARIS LASIANTHA was climbing up the rocks there, and amongst thegrasses we observed a species of the genus LAPPAGO, perhaps not distinctfrom the Indian L. BIFLORA. Thermometer, at sunrise, 39 deg.; at noon, 56 deg.; 4P.M., 87 deg.; at 9, 67 deg.; with wet bulb, 52 deg..

21ST OCTOBER.--I took a ride with Mr. Kennedy to the summit to which Ihad attached his name, having occasion to take a back angle from it onMount Owen, and one or two other points. I could there show him many ofthe distant summits to the northward of the country, I was about to laydown on my map. We rode over a fine tract of forest land, extending fromthe camp to the foot of the mountain, a distance of about twelve miles.On the high range grew a profusion of a beautiful little PTEROSTYLIS,quite new, but in the way of P. RUFA[*], a single specimen of a newKENNEDYA was gathered there.[**] On the plains we found a curious newform of the genus DANTHONIA, much resembling wheat in ear[***], and a newJASMINE, with a rich perfume, resembling I. LINEARE, but with shortaxillary corymbs of flowers. This species has been named by Dr. Lindleyafter myself.[****] We found also the SOLANUM VIOLACEUM with its violetflowers and orange spines. A fine wiry herbage was formed by theLAXMANNIA GRACILIS, now in flower, ERYTHROEA AUSTIALIS D. C., asmallflowered species of CENTAURY, the DIANELLA RARA, R. Br. and SALVIAPLEBEIA. Thermometer, at sunrise, 48 deg.; at noon, 85 deg.; at 4, P.M., 84 deg.; at9, 65 deg. with wet bulb, 52 deg..

22D OCTOBER.--The information Mr. Kennedy had gathered from the natives,about the final course of the river; his surveys thereof, which, even onfoot, he had extended sixteen miles (eight miles each way from the camp),and the fact, that the fish of the Balonne, Cod, or GRISTES PEELII had,at length been caught in it, all led to the conclusion that this riverwas no other than the tributary which on the 24th, of April I at firstfollowed up, and afterwards halted and wrote back to Mr. Kennedy about.By following this down, the probability that we should find water seemedgreater, than by returning along our old track, where we had left behindsome ponds so small that we could not hope to find any water remaining,especially at two of the camps between us and Bindango, I thereforedetermined to follow this river downward, and to survey its course. Weleft the depot camp this morning, and to avoid some overhanging cliffs onthe river, we travelled first over an open tract. The camp we left,namely, XXIX, or "MOONDI," or the "second depot camp," will be found avaluable cattle-station or sheep-station, by the first squatter comingthis way. The runs about it are very extensive; the natives few andinoffensive, and the stock-yard etc., left there, renders it verycomplete. I must not omit, however, to mention, that the water had becomeslightly brackish, but not so as to be unpalatable, or even, indeed,perceptible, except to persons unused to it. The large reach had fallentwo feet since the party first occupied that station. In other reacheslower down, that we passed during this day's journey, the water wasperfectly sweet. I proceeded about thirteen miles with the light party,and encamped at the junction of a little river from the N. W. formerlycrossed by me (on my ride of 23d May). A new poppy was found on the flatsby the river, near PAPAVER DUBIUM; but the leaves, when dry, becamedarkgreen not pale; the aculei are too numerous and stout, pectant notdepressed, and the flowers very small. The teams and drays did not arriveas expected, and the men with me had not brought any provisions withthem. We saw natives in the woods before we encamped, and parts of thegrass on fire. A beautifully worked net, laid carefully under a piece ofbark, having two curiously carved stakes attached to it, was found by Mr.Kennedy, who made deep impressions of his boots in the soil near it, thatthe natives might see that white men had been there, and had left the netuntouched. Thermometer, at sunrise, 47 deg.; at noon, 81 deg.; at 4 P.M., 85 deg.; at9, 70 deg.; with wet bulb, 56 deg.. Height above the sea, 1185 feet (Camp 76).

23RD OCTOBER.--We were obliged to halt, and await the arrival of thedrays, which only took place at 1/2 past 11, A.M. The cattle were found tobe so fat and fresh, that the drivers could not get them along faster.Mr. Stephenson obtained a specimen of the dove observed by me on theVictoria. (GEOPALIA CUNEATA). I had heard the note in the woods, anddirected his attention to it. The SWANSONIA CORONILLOEFOLIA adorned therich flats with its crimson pear-shaped blossoms, and the CROTALARIADISSITIFLORA, was also in flower, but smaller than usual; more rigid,with a denser silky pubescence, and smaller, shorter leaflets. The SIDA(Abutilon) FRAZERI (Hook. M S.)[*] and also the CLEMATIS STENOPHYLLA[**],were found on this part of the river. Thermometer, at sunrise, 48 deg.; at